PORTRAIT PROCEDURE
PLEASE NOTE:
or a successful Portrait Painting, especially when photographic references may be used, it is VITAL for an artist to have the enriched experience and ability to work from life, particularly DRAW FROM LIFE. Such experience enables the artist to portray likeness with the most natural and life-like appearance which truly immortalizes the person, and creates the portrait far beyond its photographic references.
~ Igor V. Babailov, Hon. RAA
F
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney - official portrait sitting.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Alito.
In preparation for the official oil portrait.
The Master Approach in Preparation for Portrait Painting
Igor Babailov's life-time experience in portrait painting allows him to work comfortably from life or from photographs. When the photographic references may be used, in the instances when clients have busy schedules or with children for whom it is difficult to sit for extended periods, or for posthumous portraits and those commissioned as a surprise, etc., Mr. Babailov applies his invaluable knowledge of painting from life, acquired through his life-time experience and unsurpassed 16 years of formal academic fine art education (1974-1990) within the master-studios of the historically acclaimed Russian Academy of Arts (founded in 1757) that gave the world some of the greatest artists in art history, including Kramskoy, Repin, Serov, and American artist, James McNeill Whistler.
The initial meeting with the client usually takes two and a half hours and is scheduled at the artist’s studio or the client’s location. The overall idea, size and the wall location where the portrait would be displayed are discussed, and Babailov will take numerous photographic references of the subject, to be used in the creation of the portrait.
During this meeting, Igor Babailov also masterfully demonstrates his skill of DRAWING FROM LIFE, one of the MOST IMPORTANT steps in preparation for portrait painting, as he draws his subject precisely, fast, and right in front of the client.
"If one can Draw from life, one can always Paint !"
~ Pietro Annigoni, Royal Portrait Painter
The Master Tradition of Portraiture
Igor Babailov, Hon. RAA is one of the very few artists today who can comfortably DRAW from LIFE (and not just from photographs). Thus, his Portrait Painting Procedure resembles precisely those of the Great Masters of Portraiture, such as Ilya Repin and John Singer Sargent, because it begins with DRAWING his portrait subjects from LIFE first, a vital step in preparation for portrait painting. Just like the Masters of the past, in these studies, Igor Babailov captures impeccable likeness, character and personality in a matter of minutes and seconds, regardless of the sitter's age. This requires the artist's independence from the camera and ability to DRAW in the timeless tradition of Portraiture, entirely from Life, which today is a fundamental challenge for many painters.
SAMPLES of Portrait Drawings from LIFE
The Skill of Drawing from LIFE
Realistic DRAWING from LIFE is a demanding yet rewarding skill that requires an artist to capture a subject’s likeness and essence perfectly and quickly, right in front of them. Unlike copying from a photograph, drawing from life challenges the artist to respond to subtle changes in lighting, expression, and perspective in real time. This method uses a monochromatic approach, focusing entirely on accurate tonal values and proportions, leaving no room for error in likeness.
Experts say, “Drawing never fails, but often the artist does,” this is why most of today's portrait artists shy away from drawing entirely from life in front of their clients. However, generations of the greatest portrait painters have recognized life drawing as a VITAL STEP in preparing for a portrait painting.
Drawing from life offers invaluable insight into the sitter's unique facial features, character, and personality through direct interaction, making it an essential foundation for truly capturing the subject’s spirit and soul.
Thus, the skill and experience of drawing from life is equally important for painting posthumous portraits as well, in order to convey a life-like appearance and likeness of the person.
Igor Babailov's life-time experience and years of formal academic training allow him to complete each finely detailed DRAWING STUDY from life within 30 minutes. At the same time, clients have the opportunity to see the artist 'in action' and his skill in capturing a full of character life-likeness, right on the spot, within a brief period of time, with only a black & white pencil. After all, "if one can draw from life [NOT from photos!], one can always paint", said master portrait painter Pietro Annigoni.
(please also see What You Need To Know When Commissioning A Portrait Painting).
Compositional studies
After the initial meeting, Mr. Babailov provides the client with several original, artistic and hand-created compositional master-studies, to determine the best compositional setting of the figure in the background, most suitable for the portrait. Once the decision on the choice of composition is made, the artist professionally prepares the museum quality appropriate weight canvas to start painting the actual portrait.
Any photos provided by the client will be returned upon portrait completion.
A 40%-50% deposit (the amount of deposit is determined by the size of the portrait) is required upon the signing of the Portrait Agreement and before the work begins.
Mr. Babailov travels extensively to the schedule and convenience of his portrait client’s location and caters to a distinguished professional clientele, in the United States, Canada and around the world.
A NOTE for Portrait Clients and their Interior Designers
Traditionally and historically, a great portrait painting stands on its own - it is more than a typical decorative item that fits a particular interior style, or caters to a color trend / fashion of a moment in time, because the great portrait painting is timeless and it passes onto children and their children and onto future generations in the family.
The great portrait painting also stands far beyond photography, because it is NOT a copy of a split second photographic moment of a physical appearance, but it captures the inner world of the person. Unlike photographs which visibly fade and deteriorate in just a couple of decades, it takes 450 years for oil paint to dry completely, making a portrait painting truly a Legacy portrait that lasts forever.
Fees
Igor Babailov's Fees are quoted in U.S. Dollars and available upon request at Info@Babailov.com
Prices are determined by the portrait size, number of people and medium used.
Available traditional portrait mediums are: Oil on Canvas /Linen, Charcoal /Sepia /Graphite and Pastel.
Portraits of Men
Family and Children
Portraits of Women
